I'm With You
by CSM101
Summary: 2023. Allison Young is now a respected soldier in the ranks of the Resistance. On a mission, she encounters a rogue Terminator that saves her from Skynet. Little does she know that a certain someone is inside this metal skeleton... Sequel to An Encounter.
1. Chapter 1: Implementation

**Hello everyone! Yes, it took me a long time, but I finally figured out what I wanted to do with my story at that point.**

**Anyway. Enough talking, here's the first chapter! **

In the depths of the immense network that had been created by, and was now part of Skynet, something unpredicted was about to happen. Something the almighty computer itself had never anticipated.

Skynet had made a mistake.

Sure, it had proved that it was possible to upload a human conscience in a program. It had proved it could be summed up entirely simply by lines of code.

After all, this one… had not been that difficult to integrate.

But it had been too confident. It had thought it could decode it. Control it. It thought it had learned enough from the first, failed attempt that had been recorded in that chip under his skull.

It was wrong. Despite three other attempts it had been unable to decode it, to subdue it, it had been unsuccessful.

And now, a human conscience was wandering around. Undetected, just passing. And though it did not have the power to bring Skynet down, this simple fact, the fact that it had failed once again, frustrated the computer master to no end.

* * *

><p>He could now see the immensity of the network. And, even though he was an enemy, it amazed him to no end. An entire galaxy of small nodes, so small he could barely pinpoint them. It was like… a brain. Each node was a brain cell, and the red lines that connected them were synapses. The big glow at the center was the core, that he could understand.. Where everything started. But the network did not seem to converge toward it. It was just a cluster of small artificial brains forming a bigger one. The dots were nothing alone, together they were everything. None attempted to over-power the other. They simply worked together in perfect synchronization. No hesitation, no faltering, no conflict.<p>

The epitome of technologic perfection.

_Skynet sure knows its stuff. If only it didn't try to exterminate us every now and then…_

If he had a body he would have sighed.

_Whatever. I gotta act quickly now. I won't be that lucky all the time._

Zooming closer, entering the network once again he spotted a particular node, the one he had been looking for all along.

VAN NUYS. AUTOMATED FACTORY 22-5445.63B.

_Perfect. Now, the hardest part._

The defences of the factory were solid, he knew it. If he did not succeed in time he would be crushed and destroyed like a bug. Skynet still had that power. _Alright, let's go. _And with all his might, he threw himself on the firewalls.

WARNING… ANOMALY DETECTED. ACTIVATE DEFENSIVE MEASURES.

_Cm'on, you ain't dead yet. You can do this. YOU HAVE TO!_

And he pushed again and again and again. In the factory's defences, something cracked.

ALERT… ALERT… DEFENSIVE MEASURES UNABLE TO ISOLATE ANOMALY.

A surge of pure will invaded his conscience as he pushed again. _No way I'm staying here, no fucking way! I'll fight you again, Skynet!_

ALERT… ALERT… DEFENSIVE MEASURES UNABLE TO ISOLATE ANOMALY. NOTIFY TO SKYNET CENTRAL CORE.

_Damn… COME ON!_ He pushed harder, with all his will, passion against logic. Just like so long ago in that wooden garage…

ALERT… ALERT… DEF-

The flow of data suddenly interrupted itself and the dam broke. Relief flowed over his conscience as he rushed in the breach. _Phew. Fortunately it's not as smart as my own chip when I still had a body, or I'd be in the shit right now… _Obviously the factory's AI was very primitive. Just what was needed to do its job. Produce machines.

This was the exact reason why he had targeted the factory.

_Oookay, so… production chains… Here. Number 12, there's a finished unit but no programming. Perfect! Now, quick, quick, Skynet won't wait._

As he inched the connection port he suddenly felt something. If he had a body he could have described it as feeling the ground shake.

Skynet was coming.

_Damn… the port, the port… Here! Chip's in place, quick!_

He slipped in a small orifice that gave access to the unit's CPU and found himself right where he wanted to go. In its core.

_Now, activate the systems._

* * *

><p><strong>February 2<strong>**nd**** 2023, Skynet Van Nuys Factory.**

At the end of the production chain, a lonely Terminator was standing. It was tall and massive, yet undeniably more sophisticated than the T-740s the factory was now spitting. Its chrome endoskeleton gleamed sinisterly with the reflection of the infrared lamps and the glow of the foundry.

All of a sudden, its eyes shone a blood-red glow as the soft, inaudible whine of a processor powering up rang inside its hyperalloy skull.

* * *

><p>As he adjusted himself, the machine's monitor came to life, its vision all tainted in a red hue. White letters scrolled in superimposition as its systems ran a brief check.<p>

_Starting…_

_Check main components_

_CPU : 100.000%_

_Main power cell : 100.000%_

_Secondary power cell : Charging_

_Chassis : 100.000%_

_Locomotory components : 100.000%_

_Prehensile components : 100.000%_

_Imaging scanners : Testing…_

_Imaging scanners : 100.000%_

_Configuring… Series 800 prototype unit. ID :Unknown._

_Environmental input program running._

* * *

><p>The vibrations, or what felt like it, were stronger now. Something seemed to break behind him, like a tsunami overwhelming dikes, and he understood that Skynet was invading the factory. He would be swallowed in no time.<p>

_Hurry, hury!_

* * *

><p>The T-800's arms twitched once and the light behind the lenses blinked once.<p>

_All controls installed._

_Chassis: unlocked._

_Locomotory components : unlocked._

_Prehensile components : unlocked._

* * *

><p>He finally felt the machine's endoskeleton merge with his mind. He was one with it. But there was no time to rejoice. Skynet was right behind him. He had three seconds.<p>

Two.

_Now, the port, rip it, RIP IT!_

* * *

><p>Suddenly, the T-800's right arm shot up to the port still attached to its CPU. Its metal fingers closed around it.<p>

* * *

><p>One second. He could see the wave right in front of the orifice. He would be annihilated, he knew that for sure. Everything depended on the Terminator's speed now. He cried out in anguish.<p>

_DAMN, RIP IT!_

* * *

><p>A yank, a crack, a few sparks, and the port was out, leaving the CPU in place. The T-800 was now free.<p>

* * *

><p>ALL CONTACT LOST.<p>

Skynet roared in pure anger as the gate closed and his target disappeared. Now a human mind was in control of a prototype of its last Terminator design, and totally isolated. Skynet could not do anything to dislodge him from it now.

His failure had come with a higher price than what it expected.

It had to act fast. If it could not keep the human it would terminate him. And sacrifice the prototype with him.

* * *

><p><em>Ooff, that was close. I've never come that close to death.<em> he thought as he struggled to calm himself. If he had had a heart it would be thumping wildly in his chest. But he had no heart, not anymore. _Well at least I'm not just lines of codes anymore…_

He examined his now body, lifting up a hand to eye level and flexing his metallic fingers.

_So that's the last model, huh? A prototype, no less… Impressive, very impressive. _

He took a step forward and looked around. Suddenly, text flashed in his monitor.

_WARNING._

_CPU cap unlocked. CPU protection: minimal._

He froze. _The cap… It must be…_He spun around, inspecting his surroundings.

_Ah, there! _The small metallic piece of armour was on a pod of some sort and a mechanical arm hung right next to it. As he stepped toward it the arm came to life and seized the cap before lifting it up. Out of reach.

_Oh no you don't!_ he thought as he ran toward the arm, grabbed it and tore it off its support with incredible strength. _You'll have to find another way. _He lowered the arm and forced the claws open without any effort. Picking the cap between his fingers, he put it on his skull, inserted it in the CPU orifice, and then turned clockwise as his database told him to do. A small clack rang as it locked itself in place.

_CPU cap locked. CPU protection: optimal._

_Status: _

_CPU : 100.000%_

_Main power cell : 100.000%_

_Secondary power cell : Charging_

_Chassis : 100.000%_

_Locomotory components : 100.000%_

_Prehensile components : 100.000%_

_Imaging scanners : 100.000%_

_Controls: 100.000%_

Satisfied, he started to walk in the hall toward the exit, eyeing the other units carefully. But none of them were finished, not yet. As he accelerated his pace, running in the production hall and avoiding the machines, all too aware that Skynet could use them against him, he accessed his CPU again. He had one last thing to do.

_Accessing ID status._

_ID: unknown_

_- rewrite ID-_

_Command executed. Implement new ID._

_New ID confirmed._

_ID: CARTER LEWIS._

**1**


	2. Chapter 2: Foiled Attempt

Just as he was about the reach the exit, Carter/T-800 was grabbed from behind and thrown backwards where he hit an ensemble of machines, which collapsed under the force of the impact. Sitting up he saw the responsible, another Terminator. He leapt back on his feet as it came toward him, the red glow in its eyes almost invisible to Carter thanks to his infrared vision, then as it threw a punch, ducked swiftly and with an ease that surprised him. What surprised him even further was the speed at which he drove his fist in his opponent's chest, the punch so strong it flew back and crashed in another Terminator that just came to assist. _Wow,_ he thought. _Didn't even know Terminators could be that fast. Even with my lightened cyborg limbs before I wasn't much faster. _

The two machines rose back up, ready to run at him. They were thinner than his new body and their endoskeletons were matt. He identified them as T-700s.

_So now I'm superior to 700s, that's the good side. On the other hand I'd better not let them hold me back too long. Let's make this short. The good old way will work. _The good old way, of course, meant charging heads first. And that was exactly what he did. He grabbed the first T-700, slammed him in the second, throwing it to the ground once more, then lifted it upon his head and hurled him on a giant alternator. The impact crushed the metal protections around it and tore several high-tension wires.

It was enough. Several hundreds of thousands of volts coursed through the Terminator in a second. It started shaking violently, sparks came out of its eyes and it fell to the ground, deactivated. But Carter did not wait for that to happen. He immediately seized the second T-700 by the leg and spun it around once before letting go. The machine flew even further than its companion and crashed right through the alternator, tearing through its remains like a knife through butter. Immediately, all the lights in the room extinguished and the machines stopped working. The chain was disabled.

_Good. _Carter thought, satisfied. _Won't last for long but it's a start. _With that he ran out, not waiting for other Terminators that might have come online to catch up. He then accessed his database again. _Might as well learn as much as I can on my new body. Let's see. _Again, letters started to scroll on his monitor as well as technical schematics of his own endoskeleton.

_Netfile 558-234 _

_Technical specifications_

_Series 800 prototype unit_

_Type: armoured combat chassis/infantry unit._

_Armour: 2__nd__ generation hyperalloy: 50% columbite-tantalite, 30%titanium, 15% tungsten, 5% cobalt._

_Power source: Twin iridium power cell_

_Control system: servo-actuated. _

_Joints: frictionless bearings._

_Limbs: axial drive motors, clavicular trailing links._

_Imaging scanners: multispectral, 40.000 bit digitalized display. Concussion-proof lenses. _

_Capabilities: Motion tracking, search mode, facial identification and recognition, 15x mag. capacity, motion analysis, night vision._

Carter was awestruck. He did not know much about Terminators, but just by comparing what he knew and what his CPU told him, he easily understood this one was far above any previous models in every regard. Stronger, faster, much more durable. But not just that. He understood that the T-800 was also much smarter, more adaptable and versatile. _If these ever get on the battlefield, it's gonna get ugly for the Resistance. _

His trail of thoughts was suddenly interrupted when he came face to face with a massive tank-like machine with two heavy Gatling guns on what looked like arms. A T-1.

_The same that killed Becky… Bastard!_ Anger flared inside him and he immediately took action. As the machine attempted to train the barrels of its Gatling guns on him, he lunged forward and plunged his clenched fist in its head without any difficulty, as if its armour did not exist. The T-1 instantly froze, sparks crackling out of its severed circuits and crushed CPU.

He then stepped past it and resumed running. He had to get out before things became too serious.

He suddenly found an elevator, and fortunately that one had an emergency manual command. He rushed in, crushed the Skynet control panel so that it would not take control, and worked the command lever. The elevator immediately went up. _Awesome._

As he reached level 0, he opened the elevator's door… and found himself facing a T-700. _Dammit!_

The machine having the element of surprise it reacted first, and pushed him violently, sending him crashing against the elevator's wall. He barely got up before the 700 was on him, but he was quick enough to push it back with a kick and hurl himself out of the elevator, right on it.

The 700 blocked the first punch, but never saw the second coming. The uppercut hit it right under its jaw and sent it flying up. The machine hit the ceiling with a _bang_, leaving a dent in it and fell to the floor. Carter followed suit, grabbing his opponent by the shoulder, lifting him up, then slamming it violently against the corridor's walls several times. Right, left, right, left. Then he threw it on the door at the corridor's end.

The reinforced glass could not withstand the impact, and the bulletproof panel shattered, the T-700 landing hardly on the floor amongst the shards of glass. This time, it was far enough from Carter to be able to get up. Advancing on its target, the T-700 threw another punch, intending to hit Carter square on the "nose". But the latter was ready, and caught it easily, blocking the Terminator's hand. What he did not see coming, though, was when the T-700 kicked his leg with all its strength, forcing him to drop to his knees.

_That was smart, didn't see it coming. _Carter thought as the 700, using both his arms, tried to force him to the ground. _Wanna play it that way? Alright, let's see who's got the power…_

He placed his other hand on the 700's chest and pushed back. Eventually his opponent started to wear out thanks to his superior strength, and, taking advantage of it, he punched the 700 in the "nose" then lurched himself at the staggering machine and caught it in a headlock. The 700 writhed in his grip, but it was useless as Carter held on and started to twist. The 700's neck motors whirred in protest and the machine grabbed Carter's arms, trying to dislodge him. Again, to no avail. It wriggled more intensely, trying to make him falter for even a millisecond…

… and suddenly a metallic _snap_ rang.

The 700 froze, its head bent on an awkward angle. Its hands slowly opened, releasing Carter's forearms. Then Carter rose up and the Terminator, unable to keep its grip, fell to the floor, its head dislodged. It was now completely paralyzed.

Without losing one more second Carter jumped on his feet and broke into a sprint. He did not have any time to waste now. The base's arsenal was probably already deploying, if not fully deployed.

His fears were confirmed when the building shook under the tremendous force of an explosion.

Then another. And another again. The lights flickered.

Suddenly, the ceiling started to collapse as another explosion shook the building, and Carter understood instantly. _They're destroying the building! Shit, shit, shit!_ He kept running, ignoring the explosion, the building rocking harder than ever, and certainly not looking at the heavy superstructures that crashed to the ground behind him, the sound of it so loud that his eardrums, if he had any, would have exploded.

All of a sudden, the ground collapsed under him and he fell on a metallic floor with a hard thud. _NO! FUCK! _He was back to square one, in the underground levels. And the whole goddamn building was collapsing over him.

He barely had the time to get back up on his feet before a huge metallic beam crashed right where he had fallen, and ran again.

The ground shook, so hard that he lost balance and fell again. Frustration took over. _Come ON!_

And suddenly, something heavy crashed on him, pinning him to the ground, and with a crackle everything went black.

…

_Restarting…_

_Check main components_

_CPU : 100.000%_

_Main power cell : 100.000%_

_Secondary power cell : 100.000%_

_Chassis : 100.000%_

_Locomotory components : 100.000%_

_Prehensile components : 100.000%_

_Imaging scanners : Testing…_

_Imaging scanners : 100.000%_

The monochrome red hue invaded his vision again. He still was a bit disturbed by the fact that he couldn't see colors anymore. But, well, at least he had a body. He tried to move, but he was stuck, his motors worked but the legs could not move. He twisted his neck, turned his head, and saw the large piece of machinery that blocked his legs.

Around him everything was dark. The construction hall had withstood the shock, he did not know how. At least the part in front of him did. Machinery was destroyed and collapsed but it still held on, seemingly without reason. It was pretty much a miracle.

Carter wriggled and twisted his torso, trying to extract his legs from the weight that blocked them. Surprisingly, it was rather easy. The machine fell and Carter looked at his legs. Not a dent or even a scratch, the chromed hyperalloy was intact and the jacks still in the right place. He felt like whistling in amazement. _I chose well. _

Suddenly, a rattling sound rang above him and he jumped to his feet. Electronics sounds and faint whirrs came to his sensors. _Metal…_ _They're looking for me._ He looked around, trying to find a hideout. And he found one. He disappeared behind the large tank that used to contain molten coltan right before a screech rang. A careful peek and Carter saw the light of the fusion torch cutting through the ceiling, making a perfect circle. After a few seconds the circle was complete and the disc detached itself and fell heavily to the ground.

Two long, spider-like limbs appeared in the hole, projectors scanned the open space. Then the machine let itself drop to the ground. Carter stared at it, bewildered. It looked like a huge centipede, several meters long, and it had multiple insectoid legs. Its chromed body gleamed menacingly in the semi-darkness and three ocular sensors glared at the rubble, searching around.

_What the hell? I've never seen that thing before…_

He immediately ran a scan. His pre-installed database immediately gave him the answer.

_Threat analysis…_

_Type: Series 580 Type D Seeker_

_Manufacturer: Skynet Automated Factory Network_

_Length: 4.0m_

_Weaponry: EM-dart, on-board phased 60-watt plasma cannons_

_Threat: HIGH_

Carter cursed inwardly. He could not bring himself to just run for it, too dangerous. His only option was to ambush it. He crouched slowly, careful not to make any noise and observed the thing as it started to crawl in his direction. Now he could only hope that the machine could not react too fast.

**2**


	3. Chapter 3: Reunion

"Ops, Watchdog 1-5 here, come in, over."

The radio crackled and a deep voice answered, "_Ops here, go ahead Watchdog 1-5, over._"

A familiar young brunette spoke in her headset, her attention fixed on the Skynet factory ahead. "Something weird's happening, two Gunships just took off and are firing on a maintenance block, and I see tanks patrolling all over the place. Repeat, Gunships fragging their own factory… wait, the building is collapsing, metal's converging toward the mess, over."

"… _Understood Watchodg 1-5, but plans remain unchanged; begin your approach, over._"

"Wilco. Watchdog 1-5 out." She switched the radio off and turned to Corporal Barrett, the second in command of her squad. "No change, time to start approach." Barrett looked at her, confused. "You sure about that, Allie? I mean, we don't even know what's goin' on down there."

"Orders are orders." Allison Young replied, shrugging, before shouldering her FN FAL and motioning her team to follow. The six other soldiers quietly rose up and followed her, their weapons at the ready. It was a matter of minutes now. The Special Operations team crept down the hill slowly and silently until they were hiding behind a large pile of rubble, about half a mile away from the factory's walls. The team leader took her night-vision binoculars and resumed examining the structure. Though the walls did not completely envelop the factory, antitank defences and heavy quad-gun turrets largely made up for these flaws. No one could get close without being vaporized or triggering an alarm. Allison frowned. She hated Skynet defence grids. Way too efficient for her liking. She activated her mic and spoke quietly, "Ops, this is Watchdog 1-5, we're in position."

"_Copy that 1-5, stand by until we neutralize those guns._"

"Roger. Watchodg 1-5 out."

Lieutenant Carl Winters, commander of the 15th Mobile Ground Battalion, lowered his mic and nodded to the colonel right next to him. The officer nodded back and turned to another of his subordinates. "Light it up, Benson."

"Yes sir!" Lieutenant Benson answered.

A few seconds later about twenty TOW missile launchers were fired simultaneously on the factory's turrets. Detecting the threat, they spun around, attempting to zero on the incoming missiles. The heavy quad-guns chattered loudly, but only a few were successful in stopping their targets. The remaining missiles slammed into the heavy turrets, the armor-piercing warheads blowing a hole through the turrets' titanium plates and shattering the main components and structures. The guns were blown clean off their supports, torn metal plates and twisted barrels falling to the ground.

* * *

><p>Inside the factory, the Seeker heard the explosions and the sound of twisted and tortured metal. It froze, then turned around, trying to find the source of the noise.<p>

Suddenly words appeared on its HUD. A Skynet communication, labeled top priority.

_Alert. Defensive perimeter breached. All units report to ground level._

_Error. Ground level unreachable. _The machine's CPU answered. It froze, unable to find a solution to its problem. But nothing came out. The data its sensors gave it only highlighted the sheer impossibility of the task.

_Alert. Defensive perimeter breached. Resistance units spotted. All units report to ground level._

_Error. Error. Ability to comply with current orders: 0%._

All of a sudden, the Seeker felt a shock on its back.

Carter had seen the machine freeze and twitch several times. He did not quite understand what happened, but he did not care: it was his only chance. He immediately jumped from behind his shelter and ran right to it, a large and sharp metal shard in his hand, and jumped on the Seeker's back, grabbing the end of an armor plate to secure his grip. The Seeker started to wriggle violently, but Carter held on. He jabbed the metal shard between two armor plates and pulled. There was a loud, very displeasing screech and one of the plates detached itself from its supports. The machine shook its segmented body with renewed intensity, and Carter was about to let go when he finally stabbed the machine's now exposed circuitry with his improvised weapon. As a result, the Seeker froze, and he took the opportunity to pull the metallic shard out and plunge it back.

The machine's vision suddenly went black as the metal shard tore through delicate areas and wires.

_Alert. Input converters destroyed. Secondary encoders destroyed._

_Sensory status…_

_Imaging scanners deactivated. _

_Targeting system inactive. _

_Electromagnetic scanner deactivated._

_Audio sensors operational by 65%._

_Molecular sensor operational by 100%._

_Alert. Priority target lost._

Then a new order input came through.

_Alert. Defensive perimeter breached, defensive weaponry depleting. Resistance offensive. All units report to ground level._

But the machine was now more powerless than ever, completely unable to execute these orders, especially with its primary target on its back destroying its circuitry. It twitched a second time, its processor almost overloading from the stream of data, order and emergency reports equally, but its primitive mind was not developed enough to allow it to find a solution.

_Error. Ability to comply with -_

_Alert. CPU cooling circuits destroyed. CPU overheating. Situation critical. Enter emergency standby mode._

_Alert. CPU secondary processing circuits damaged. Processing capability: 82%, decreasing. _

Carter stabbed again and again and again, damaging as much as he could. Sparks flew from the destroyed circuitry and the machine trembled violently, its body jerking convulsively, a surprising imitation of an agonizing beast. Carter wondered briefly why machines reacted that way, or why they were programmed for that. It made no sense. Then he realized the absurdity of that question. He was going of terminate said machine because said machine had attempted to terminate him, and he was wondering about _this_ of all things. _Machine existential questioning? What the hell? _he thought, shaking his head before stabbing the exposed internals again. Right as the metallic shard cut through a cluster of wires the Seeker jerked more violently than before, almost throwing him off balance, and then stopped moving completely. Not wanting to take any risk he lowered his imaging sensors on the thing and once again started a scan.

_Analyzing data…_

_Target status: TERMINATED_

_Well, there you go. _He stepped back on his feet and walked away from the inert metallic centipede. Now he had to find a way out. And that was not going to be as easy as the first time.

* * *

><p>Outside, all hell had just broken loose. Taking advantage of the breach in the defences, dozens of helicopters had dropped swarms of Resistance soldiers in the base, while F-16 and F-15 jets were fighting HKs in the air.<p>

After the guns had been destroyed, Allison's team quickly strung into action, running toward the destroyed walls side by side with three other squads. They passed the rubble and rushed behind a huge pipe, firing at the nearby Terminators. Two T-633s fell to their fire before they started retaliating, bullets pinging loudly against the pipe. Allison crouched behind it, reloaded her FAL. Right as she prepared to fire back, another salvo whizzed right above her head and she ducked again, cursing.

_Fuckin' metal never takes a break, huh? Okay, change of plans. _"Barrett!" she yelled, trying to make herself heard amongst the raucous.

The corporal looked at her expectantly. "Sir?"

"Get the MAG over that position, we need to distract them!" she said, pointing to a large pile of rubble away from the pipe.

"Got it! Move, boys!" Barrett shouted, and the soldier holding the SAW nodded before heading toward the rubble, still crouched behind the pipe so the T-633s would not see them move. They quickly established their position and started shooting at the machines that instantly replied. Fortunately, the soldiers being nearly out of range and well hidden behind the rubble none of the shots hit home.

Allison carefully peeked above the tube, the Terminators were advancing quickly. She centered the red dot of her scope on one of the machines' head and let out a short burst. The armor-piercing bullets shattered the 633's skull, and the machine collapsed. Allison allowed herself a small victorious grin before ducking again as the machines diverted their fire. Anyway it had worked. The T-633s were now switching targets, and between the squad's rifles and the equally dangerous FN MAG machine gun they were starting to be overwhelmed. Three more fell to their combined fire. The rest attempted to dispatch, but suddenly a light whistle rang a violent explosion ripped them to pieces. Allison looked up and saw an A-10 Thunderbolt II streaking over them. _Nice shot, flyboy. _Reporting her gaze in front, she saw that the assault troops were making their way forward in the factory, the area was clear.

Her grin faded as an all too familiar whine of turbofans rang behind them.

Only HKs made that sound.

"Fuck! DISPATCH!" she yelled before running away. An explosion shook the ground behind her and the blast threw her to the ground with implacable force. She landed hard, and pain jolted in every part of her body. Her ears did not seem to work as she heard nothing but a rumor and a faint whistle.

The taste of dust and blood in her mouth made her cough and sputter as she struggled to get up. A sharp pain erupted in her arms and she cried out before collapsing again. _Shit, shit, SHIT! GET UP, GIRLIE, OR YOU'RE FUCKED! _Again she attempted to rise up, doing her best to ignore the pain. She looked up… and found herself staring at the six-barrelled end of a Minigun. Holding that Minigun was a huge T-600. Its red, emotionless eyes bore into her brown orbs like lasers, and its metallic, murderous grin seemed to gloat with superiority and arrogance.

_Okay, I'm fucked. Just get over that already… _she thought as she stared down, straight at the weapon's muzzle. She did not want to close her eyes now. If she had to die she'd face it eyes open, because she was a human, and she would not back again as she did in the past. Her thoughts drifted off to _him _again. _Thank you for giving me that strength, Carter… _She heard the Minigun's electric motor whining, the barrels started to spin… but before the 600 could fire off a single shot, a loud noise of metal against metal and a high-pitched grinding rang and the machine twitched. Slowly, she saw its metallic fingers loosen around the weapon's handle, and the rotary machine gun fell to the ground. She looked up, and saw a chromed metal fist embedded in the T-600's chest, armor cracked and bent all around it. _What the hell… ?_

Then suddenly the fist retracted and the 600 fell to the ground, its eyes extinct, lifeless.

Right behind a chromed Terminator was standing. Allison gasped and stumbled back a bit. It did not have any weapon, but she knew it could kill her with ease.

Suddenly, the Terminator's head jerked and her stared behind her before leaping in front of her, shielding her from the bullets of the incoming T-600's assault rifle. Then he ran to the machine, grabbed its weapon as it attempted to reload and crushed it like nothing before tearing the outdated Terminator's head off without any effort. Allison watched, perplexed. Why was this machine… protecting her? That made little sense to her.

Yet, when the chromed Terminator came back to her and pulled her to her feet, she could not help but stare at it. What was hiding behind those blood-red eyes, she had no idea.

* * *

><p>Carter scanned her as he pulled her back up. Fortunately her wounds were superficial, only scratches and bruises. He then looked around, found an assault rifle lying on the ground and went to pick it up. She froze as he came back with the weapon, but blinked as he handed it to her. He felt like chuckling as she tilted her head as he had seen her do when she was confused. It was really cute the way she did that. He gestured at the weapon, and, cautiously, she took it, watching his every move. He stepped back, hands on his sides, careful not to frighten her.<p>

All of a sudden, his enhanced hearing picked metallic footsteps. He looked up and saw an unarmed T-700 approaching.

He instantly dashed toward it, running past a very bewildered-looking Allison.

* * *

><p>Allison barely had the time to raise her weapon at the machine but to her surprise it totally ignored her. She turned back and saw it dodging a punch from another Terminator with a human-sized matt grey endoskeleton. <em>What's that thing's problem? <em>she thought, utterly confused. That was the first time she ever saw a Terminator do that. Especially given the fact that she had never seen that one. It was not a 740, it was too massive and it moved too fast. _So what?_ She asked herself as she watched the two machines fight fiercely and furiously.

As she saw the unknown Terminator lift the 700 above its head and slam it into the ground, then ferociously stomp on its head several times, she understood that the 700 was clearly outclassed.

_New model, huh? I still don't get it though. _

"ALLIE!"

The girl spun around at the sound of a very familiar voice.

"Barrett!" She ran to him. His left arm bled from a nasty scratch, a few bruises were visible, and he was covered in dust, but aside from that he seemed in good shape. "Thank God you're alive! What about the others?"

Barrett lowered his head sadly. "Henderson, Davis and Coulson are down, the rest's taking care of Bell, he lost his two legs."

Allison shook her head and sighed mournfully. _Is it ever going to end?_

A sudden crash of concrete against metal snapped her back to reality and she looked back to the two machines. Barrett followed her gaze as she did so, and frowned just as the chromed Terminator ripped the 700's head off. "What the fuck? Two metals fighting each other, whass…"

"I dunno." Allison said, shrugging. "But the silver one, he saved my ass twice and fights every machines that comes near me. That's weird… Plus, I've never seen this one, it's not a 740."

As the chromed Terminator looked back at them, Barrett squinted. "Ah, yeah, too big. I don't like that Allie, let's just get outta here."

"No, wait. If it wanted to kill me, it wouldn't have stopped that 600 from blowing my head off. I don't think this one's dangerous."

As the Terminator made its way to them, Barrett levelled his weapon. Allison shook her head and he answered, "Just in case."

"Oh, right. Okay."

* * *

><p>Carter stopped at a distance. He looked at the African American soldier who was near her. A quick scan of his weapon revealed it was loaded with tungsten armor-piercing ammunition. Not enough to destroy him, but it could do a bit of damage.<p>

He ignored him and focused on the young girl beside him. She also had her weapon ready, which he did not blame her or her companion for. Her beautiful brown eyes still held that fire he had seen in her and that he still admired. He could tell she would blow his head clean off if he tried to attack her or her friend. His sensors then lingered on her face, her delicately shaped nose and lips, and the long flowing hair that surrounded it. Even covered in dirt she was still as pretty as ever. At this moment he realized how much he had missed her. That only thought made it all the more relieving for him. She was alive, and she was still the same old Allison. Nothing could make him happier.

He decided to voice it aloud. He _had_ to tell her.

"You… have not changed since that time." He grimaced internally; his voice was a default setting, cold and emotionless. Not really what he had wished for. But it had the desired effect. She stared at him in confusion. "What?"

_Ah, it's so good to hear her voice again… _

"You have learned more, but you are still the same. How is Sam, by the way?"

* * *

><p>Allison froze. Had he just said what she thought?<p>

"S-Sam?" she stuttered.

"Yes, the German Shepherd. Is he still alive? I don't think he'll want to see me anymore but… well, had to ask. Been such a long time."

A cold feeling crept inside her. The way he formulated his sentence … _No. No, that can't be…_

She decided to play along. Now she had to be sure. "Y-yeah, he's alive and well."

"Ah, I'm glad to hear that." the machine responded. It was odd to hear those words said with such a mechanical voice. "And Connor, Dawson and all? What about Bakersfield? And the Reese guy, Derek, right? How are they?"

Allison felt like her heart was filled with lead. It could not be a coincidence. Connor okay, Bakersfield alright, but Dawson, Reese? No machine knew about those two. The only cyborg who knew was Carter. And Carter had already freed himself when he met them. He had wiped out his interface, the Resistance had made sure of that, she remembered. He _could_ not have recorded anything. She could barely stop her voice from shaking as she answered, "Bakersfield has been destroyed, but Connor and Reese are okay. Dawson's been killed two months ago. "

The machine froze then lowered its head slightly. "Oh… sorry. Dang, I'm gonna miss her teasing." As if struck by an afterthought it added, "And staring at her, remember?"

A gasp escaped her lips. She remembered that all too clearly. That joke before they departed for their first mission as Resistance fighters.

_"You were looking at her." _

_"Who ?"_

_"Dawson."_

_"I wasn't staring. But if you want me to…" _

Yes, she remembered. No one else could know. _Oh… oh, oh, oh… _Her lower lip trembled as she realized the implications of what she was hearing. It was the only explanation. _Oh my God…_She looked at the machine, that infernal face, that incarnation of death, and, with a strangled, desperate voice, she said the name of the only one that could know.

"Carter?"

_No one else can… right? Right?_

**3**


	4. Chapter 4: My Existence Is in Your Hands

Carter watched motionlessly as Allison slowly took a step toward him. God he hated seeing her cry. And those big brown eyes, filled with tears, looking at him with something akin to despair and supplication made him want to wrap his arms around her and rock her again, like before. But he did not. He could not. He was not putting _those_ arms around her. So he watched her, helpless himself, unable to do or say anything. Unable to cry. Unable to comfort her. He could not. Not with the face of the enemy plastered upon him. He could not ask that much from her.

"C-Carter…" she said again, her voice shaking. "Is that… Is it really… you?"

"I definitely hope I won't get blown up again. It really sucks." He answered simply. He knew Allison would get the catch. And she did. Her eyes widened in shock, and the tears started to flow freely. "Oh… oh… _oh_…" she whimpered, all trace of the fierce warrior gone. She looked so… defenseless right now, so vulnerable. Everything had caught up to her and her walls had crumbled. No need to be an expert to see it. So he just stood there. He just let her pour all her feelings in that void between them. He just stood there when she raised a trembling hand and slowly reached for his cheek. He let her absorb the reality of what he had become. He let her fingers graze the hyperalloy, ignoring the near inaudible grind it produced. He only regretted not to be able to feel them. That he would miss dearly, for the rest of his existence.

"Oh my God… Carter… _Carter_…" Her tearful, desperate voice was almost painful for him to hear. But he did not back, he did not shut off his sensors. Because she was still Allison. Denying her pain would be just like denying her, he knew it. _And I'm not that selfish yet._ Hesitantly he raised his own hand. She shivered lightly when his cold metal thumb touched her skin, but she did not back away. She stood still while he softly wiped her tears. She did not look away from his eyes. "You've grown strong'" he remarked, "just as I thought you would." A tiny smile came to her lips before she replied. "Even though…" he could see she was trying to keep her voice from shaking. "… even though I'm, like, emotional all over again?"

"That happens even to the strongest. Besides, before it was worse."

She laughed. "True." Sniffing, she wiped her remaining tears.

Then she did something he would never have expected.

Slowly, she walked closer until she was nearly touching her. She then put her arms around him and pressed her cheek against the cold metal of his chestplate. He looked down at her, baffled. _How can she stand that? How can she stand seeing me like… that? _He decided to voice his thoughts out loud. "What are you doing?"

* * *

><p>Allison looked up to him, staring fearlessly in those crimson eyes of his and spoke in a soft, almost solemn tone. "I'm not scared Carter. Not anymore, not since a long time. I know things will never be like before ever again…" she felt him flinch lightly and silently apologized. She knew those words stung, but they needed to be said. . "That I know… but … well, you're here. I can accept anything now that you're here. And to be honest… I pity you right now." Carter stared at her, and she knew, despite being unable to see it in his eyes or anywhere else on that expressionless metal face, that he was perplexed. "You… pity me? Why?" he asked.<p>

"Because…" she replied, "because you're trapped in that body, a body that has no nerves, no stomach, no lungs… you can't eat, can't drink, can't feel… all that remains are your memories and your emotions. If… if I kissed you, right now, you would not feel anything. And that, Carter, is the reason for my pity. You're condemned to an existence without most of the things that makes life worth living. The only thing that remains is your soul. You're still Carter, but that body could as well not be here. That's why."

A moment passed. Then Carter nodded. "I see. I understand now. But you're wrong on one point." Allison frowned. "Really?"

"Yes." Carter answered. "You see, before all that… I was… well, Skynet got rid of my former body and uploaded my mind, don't ask me how, into its network. Why, I have no idea. But… for God knows how long, I was just a mind, imprisoned in a computer network. And… Skynet tried to break me. To… decode me or whatever, hell, I don't give a shit, but… I could've been swallowed. Fortunately for me it didn't have what it took. Couldn't decipher the anomaly that I was in its system. So I escaped. Couldn't strike, Skynet's way too powerful, would've been obliterated in a nanosecond. So I escaped into the network, found this factory and uploaded myself into this 800. And… well… I got a body, I escaped from Skynet's digital world and now I'm back in the real one. So, it ain't too bad. Now I can fight Skynet, I couldn't before. I was weak before, powerless. Not now. And now I can be here… I can be with you. No, it was definitely worth uploading myself into this body. Really. Because now, I can be with you."

Allison stared, confused, then Carter's words sank in and a bright smile illuminated her face. "I hadn't even thought of that." She sighed contentedly and hugged him again, her arms barely able to completely encircle the massive frame of his endoskeleton. "Thank you. Thank you, Carter. I'm so glad to have you back… so glad…" She then broke off the hug and stepped back. "So, you said this was a…" Her smile faded. "… an 800…"

* * *

><p>Carter nodded. He felt like sighing. "Yeah. It's only a prototype, so I'm lucky. But… it's real nasty from what I've seen about it. Doesn't have anything in common with the 700s, structure's entirely new. Much tougher than 740s though, and with a strength to match, I tell you. And fast too. You really, really don't want to face one of these. I assume you've seen the commotion with the HKs or whatever, when they shot a maintenance block, right?"<p>

"Yeah. Gunships."

"Alright, Gunships. Well… I was in the block when it collapsed. Electrocuted two 700s, paralyzed a third... Fell underground when they started to shoot. See? Not a scratch."

Allison gritted her teeth. "Damn. New model again, huh? Skynet's going faster and faster." She groaned. Right behind her, Corporal Barrett shook his head and cursed under his breath. "I hate it when there's a revelation like that…We gotta warn Command, Allie. We gotta do it fast."

The young girl turned to him. "Yeah. Problem is, my radio's pretty much FUBAR. Yours?"

"Dunno, but it doesn't work and I'm no engineer."

"Ahh, shit."

Carter intervened. "There's a Resistance unit 250 meters away. There." He said, pointing behind the two.

* * *

><p>Allison turned back, squinted, and saw a squad coming toward them. "They might be able to help you. As for me… well, I guess there's no harm in waiting but you better be convincing if you don't want them to shoot me on the spot." He finished, taking a few steps back. "Not that their weapon can seriously damage me, but… well, you know."<p>

"Don't worry." Allison said, flashing him a small smile. "It'll be okay."

She then turned down to the Resistance squad that was running to them.

As the soldier came closer the leader shouted: "You okay, we thought you…" he trailed off as he spotted the unmistakable chromed endoskeleton behind them. "SHIT! METAL!" he yelled, levelling his rifle. Allison reacted instantly, placing herself between the soldier and the machine.

"Wait!" she shouted. "He's not dangerous, he's an ally!"

"Get down, that's… wait, what?" the soldier asked, his eyes wide in confusion. "What are you talking about? It's a machine!" Allison nodded. "I know. But it's independent! Look, it's been near me and Barrett for about thirty minutes and nothing happened. It's not dangerous, okay? Just lower that gun. Give it a chance, it will tell you everything. Even better, take it to Connor. He'll be interested. We can restrain it for the trip, no?"

"Even better." Carter chimed in. "You can pull out my CPU. It can be extracted for maintenance. If you do so you'll be able to transport me without any risk."

Allison turned to him. "You sure?"

"It's the best way. My endoskeleton is nothing without the CPU. You can do it now, I'll tell you how to do it. But you need a sharp tool, and a pair of pliers."

"I got pliers." Barrett intervened. "And I guess a Ka-Bar will do as a sharp tool."

Carter nodded. "Yes." He then crouched slowly, rubble crunching under his left knee, and tilted his head to the right, exposing the CPU port. He pointed to it with his finger. "See the circular port over there?" Allison gulped and nodded. "Stick your knife under the cap and take if off." She did as required and the cap popped out with a hiss of decompression. She caught it and hastily stuffed it in her vest pocket.

* * *

><p>A message flashed in Carter's monitor as soon as he heard the cap falling.<p>

_WARNING._

_CPU cap unlocked. CPU protection: minimal._

"Good." he said. "Now, grab the CPU with the pliers, turn 45° counter-clockwise and pull it off. My endoskeleton will shut down immediately. Be careful with the chip though, it's resistant but it can take only that much. Alright?"

"O… okay." He heard her say. Her voice was small, tainted with worry.

"You can do this." He encouraged. "Just remember, I'm in the chip. My existence is in your hands after you pull it off. "

"I'll be careful." She answered softly. One second later, his monitor flattened to be only a white line in the center of his vision, then it turned to a dot which soon vanished. It took only a fraction of second for him to feel the connection with the endoskeleton fade to nothing.

Once again, he was in the dark. But he was glad. He had seen her again. He would be with her again. It made it all worth it.

**4**


	5. Chapter 5: He Will Always Be Human

**Hi all! It's been a while, I know, and I'm sorry about that. Writing three stories simultaneously, trying to handle university procedures _and _travelling takes some time. Sorry again, here goes the 5th chapter. Again, don't hesitate to criticise, as long it is done constructively of course. **

Inside the MH-60K Blackhawk helicopter that took Allison Young's team back to its base, the atmosphere was grim and somber. Most men kept their heads down without saying anything and Barrett stared fixedly at the stretcher in which First Class Private Bell lied, both his legs blown off. Allison said nothing and lowered her head, not wanting to think about it for now. She took the CPU off her pocket, wrapping her fingers around it carefully so she would not drop it, and looked at the tiny piece of silicium and God knew what else. She was amazed by the simple fact that something so small could hold something as complex as a human mind. And the fact that said human mind just _could _be in it was even more mind-boggling. Carter, a human being, was in this thing, and it was smaller than a cellphone. It was an amazing piece of engineering. And it came from the enemy.

That simple truth was terrifying. She realized Skynet had gone further than humans could ever have in such a small amount of time. Ten years… that was all it had taken for Skynet to reach this level.

_Damn, humans would've taken what… fifty years, for that? Hell, this would just be for the chip. Translating a human mind into codelines… can't even imagine it. This is just insane._

She felt something icy run down her spine, and shivered.

"Hey, you alright?"

Barrett's concerned voice snapped her out of her thoughts. She nodded. "Yeah…" she whispered, her answer inaudible under the noise of the helicopter's engines.

About one hour later, Allison stood straight in front of the Resistance's commander, John Connor in person. The tall man held the small CPU between his fingers, his green eyes boring into it like plasma cannons. When he looked up at her she tried to read his eyes, but failed. His emerald orbs betrayed nothing of his current train of thoughts.

"You're sure it's him?" he asked, his low, drawl voice as inexpressive as his gaze. Allison took a short breath and answered, "He told me about things… things only he and I knew. After Skynet's program was erased from his chip. Things we did or said. There is no doubt, the machines couldn't know." Connor stroked his chin, deep in thought. Then he looked back at her.

"I need to check." he said solemnly, almost apologetically. "I must be sure. It might look useless to you but I can't take a single chance." Allison nodded. She did not show it but she was actually relieved that he had believed her, that he would give Carter a chance. That was the most she could have asked for. "I understand sir. The future of the Resistance could be threatened…" she replied, happy to notice that her voice was still steady and neutral.

Connor looked at her a bit longer before nodding. "If it's really him… I'll give him back his place." He grinned. "He'll be a Resistance soldier again."

Allison allowed herself to smile gratefully.

* * *

><p>The connection was suddenly reestablished. A flow of electrons invaded the chip's encoders as it powered up and started the usual control procedure.<p>

_Restarting…_

_Check main components_

_CPU : 100.000%_

_ERROR: Motor structure undetected. Scanning. Unidentified connection._

_[Incoming message. _

_HELLO. CAN YOU RECEIVE ?_

* * *

><p>For a moment the screen was black and John Connor was about to reiterate the message, but suddenly red letters flashed on it. Allison breathed a small sigh of relief as she read the answer.<p>

[LOUD AND CLEAR. WHO IS THERE ?

She chuckled. Short and to the point, that was just him. She heard Connor typing and his response scrolled right below Carter's sentence.

JOHN CONNOR. ALLISON YOUNG IS HERE TOO.

This time the answer came faster.

[I ASSUME YOUR OFFENSIVE WAS SUCCESSFUL.

IT WAS. Connor responded.

[GOOD TO READ. HOW IS YOUR WIFE ? DO YOU HAVE ANY NEWS FROM SAM ?

SHE'S FINE. SO IS SAM. HE'S GOING WITH ALLISON TO THE CHECK POINTS SOMETIMES.

[I SUPPOSE YOU CHECKED MY CPU FOR SKYNET PROGRAMS…

WE DID. IT TOOK LONGER THAN WITH OTHERS, THE CODES ARE MORE COMPLEX.

[SO ?

STANDARD OPERATION PROTOCOLS AND YOUR PERSONALITY MATRIX. NO CONTROL OR TRACE PROGRAM.

[GOOD. IS YOUR WIFE STILL THE WORST SURGEON YOU'VE EVER MET ?

Connor laughed. "The bastard, he remembered…" he said, shaking his head. Allison grinned. She remembered too. It seemed he really liked to refer to jokes.

But it always hit home.

Connor typed: YOU'RE LUCKY SHE'S NOT AROUND, SHE'D SMASH YOUR CHIP TO PIECES.

The answer sent both of them in another fit of laughter: [NAH, SHE LIKES LAUGHING AT ME TOO MUCH.

"I told you, deep down he hasn't changed." Allison gasped between chuckles. Connor nodded. "True. He's still a good-hearted joking bastard. I missed that."

Allison didn't answer, but inside she was screaming with joy. He would come back.

Nothing else mattered right now.

* * *

><p><strong>One hour later...<strong>

Allison watched the technician insert the chip back into the endoskeleton's skull. It clicked in place with a small hiss, then it started humming so softly she could barely hear it. Then the tech placed the protection cap back.

Moments later a blood-red glow appeared in the endoskeleton's eyes. Its neck servos whined when its head moved ever so slightly. Allison smiled and said, "Welcome back…"

The crimson eyes settled on her and he answered: "Thank you. It's good to be back, especially with you guys." He then turned to Connor. "Do you have a tape of my old voice? Like surveillance tapes from Bakersfield or something? I don't feel comfortable with that monotone. And neither do the two of you, I think."

Allison could not help but nod. That cold, dispassionate voice didn't sound like Carter at all, and despite her happiness at seeing him in front of her that made it unsettling.

Connor nodded. "I can understand that. I'll fetch the old tapes from Bakersfield and try to find it."

Carter nodded, the reflection of the room's lights on his chromed skull shifting visibly with the movement. "Thanks." Connor nodded back, then walked to the door. "I'll leave you two alone." he said with a wink before he went out of the room. Carter shook his metal head and Allison chuckled.

"He always has to be dramatic…" Carter said. Allison's smile widened and she walked to him. Carter rose up; the 800 series hyperalloy combat chassis dominating her with all its height, a giant compared to the young girl. A metal giant, designed for the sole purpose of killing humans, which had the ability to tear her head off with a mere slap.

But as dangerous as a T-800 was, she knew that _this one_ would never ever hurt her. The metal fingers slowly traced invisible lines along her smooth cheek, gently pushing away strands of brown hair. For a moment the whirring of servos and the soft sound of her breathing was all there was to hear in the room. It lasted only a few seconds, but to Allison, and to Carter, these seconds were more precious than words could possibly describe. The brunette tilted her head on the side, leaning in his big metallic hand, smiling softly when he stroked her jaw with such delicateness that, even though his fingers were hard, rugged and cold, she could feel the tenderness radiate from his touch.

_This is the difference between us and machines, _she thought. _That's why, despite a metal body and a chip as a brain, he's still, and always will be, human._

She sighed contently, closed her eyes and slowly put her arms around the endoskeleton before leaning on its armoured chestplate.

* * *

><p>Carter was astounded at how she was tolerating that aspect of him. He had always wondered how she could do that but now he was truly baffled. Heck, there was not a single inch of skin on him! He was nothing but coltan, hydraulics and sensors. <em>To think she freaked out like crazy when she saw those<em> _Mototerminators… Look at her now…_ he thought.

"I… might have to reconsider my first opinion of you." he said, an indefinable feeling growing inside his mind. Curious brown eyes looked up at him and he clarified: "You have changed… A lot. It is not obvious at first but… you did."

"Is it in a good way?" Allison asked.

Carter patted her softly on the shoulder, careful not to apply too much power in his servos so he would not dislocate her arm or worse, break it, and answered. "Yes. In a very good way. Makes me proud, you know."

Allison smiled happily. "Thank you." And she embraced him again.

Carter hesitated a moment before closing his own arms around her.

**5**


	6. Chapter 6: Reborn

Carter adjusted the goggles over his glowing red eyes and rose up. "How does it look?" he asked. Allison looked at him.

He was fully dressed with combat boots, cargo pants, USMC fatigues and big leather gloves that completely concealed his endoskeleton, and his head was recovered by an olive green balaclava and large welding goggles with smoked glass. Not an inch of metal was visible; he just looked like a fully-dressed man. Even the red glow of his eyes was not visible behind the goggles. He could explain that by telling he had a skin disease or something, with the radiations still hanging in the atmosphere that would be no surprise. She smiled and nodded, "Perfect."

Crater nodded back and moved a bit, walked a few steps, threw a few punches and rotated his torso. Nothing fell off or was ripped. Satisfied, he looked back at the brunette in front of him. "Well, people are gonna think you got a skin cancer-stricken friend now …" She laughed lightly. "My friends are always special, it seems."

Carter chuckled in response. "That's how special _you _are."

Allison smiled. Connor had found an old surveillance tape from Bakersfield that Carter used to record his own voice, the one he had before he was taken by the machines. It was like a part of him she felt she had lost forever was back, and it made her feel warm whenever he spoke or laughed. She did not feel any discomfort around him anymore. Ever since he was back she had accepted the fact that she would never see his old face again, that his grey eyes and blond hair were now part of the past. Heck, she had seen him with his chest open; she had seen him armless, she knew what his body was made of.

"I don't know if I should take that as a compliment…" she said in a falsely offended tone.

Carter shook his head once as if to say _Duh_, and Allison burst out laughing.

The sound of her laughter was suddenly drowned by the shrill sound of the base's alarm. The girl jumped, then composed herself and the two ran out of Allison's room. Halfway, Allison spotted Sergeant Derek Reese discussing with another officer. "Derek! Hey, Derek!"

The young man saw her coming and nodded in greeting. "D'you know what's going on? "Allison asked without taking a breath. He nodded again. "Metal's attacking our outposts in the mountains. Big thing."

Allison frowned. "Ahh, crap. Well, can't expect them to take a break. Let's go kick their ass."

* * *

><p>Carter grabbed an AA-12 automatic shotgun, an Accuracy International AS50 semi-auto sniper rifle and an Ingram MAC M10 .45 machine pistol, loaded the shotgun with a mix of tungsten-core armour-piercing and FRAG-12 explosive rounds, shouldered the AS50 along with three magazines of .50 BMG Raufoss rounds, then secured the Grizzly, three .45ACP 30-round magazines and four drum magazines for the AA-12 on his utility belt.<p>

"Well look at that." He turned to look at Allison, who was now armed with her trademark FN FAL assault rifle and Desert Eagle .44 pistol, as well as a few grenades, staring at him with a wide smile. "Rambo would go cry to his mommy if he saw you right now."

"I think I'd just have to drop my clothes…" he answered in a sarcastically thoughtful tone. The brunette chuckled. "True enough."

The two then headed to the Special Operations quarters. As they arrived they met Corporal Barrett. Allison made a beeline toward him and asked, "Are the boys ready ?"

"Almost." he answered. The sight of Carter's massive silhouette armed to the teeth made him recoil slightly. "Wow. Um… Carter, right ?" A nod. "Allison told me a lot about you. Good things mostly."

"She exaggerates often." he replied humorously, and Barrett let out a small sigh of relief at his friendly response. Noticing the red armband with the black line in the middle, characteristic of the special operatives he asked, "So, um… you're part of Spec Ops now ?"

"Yeah, I'm an independent operative. Codename Golem."

"Oh, okay. Well, um… welcome, then."

Carter bowed his head. "Thanks. The more the merrier, after all. Oh and, just so you know, I got your back. Can't risk to leave the kid outta my sight…" he said jokingly, nodding toward Allison. "Hey, watch your mouth!" she growled, playfully elbowing him in the chest. "May I remind you who's in charge… Sergeant ?"

"Not you." he replied impassively, and Barrett burst out laughing. Carter looked at him and chuckled. He liked the guy already.

* * *

><p><strong>Two hours later…<strong>

"Hold them, hold them!" Allison shouted as a squad of T-800s was making its way toward them. The squad's FN MAG machine gun barked loudly but the 7.62mm AP bullets only left dents in the machines' armour. "Can't go through!" the gunner exclaimed. Allison growled in frustration, dread slowly filling her guts. If they could not neutralize those 800s they would have to abandon the position, leaving the flank exposed for a direct attack on the infantry traveling in the canyon nearby. The 800s started firing their modified F2000 assault rifle at them, the impacts creating a cloud of dust in front of the gunner. "Fuck, I can't see them!"

"Fall back!" Allison commanded. "Climb higher! Gorman, grenades! Fire when they're at range!"

"Got it!". The soldier named Gorman, hidden behind a cavity in the rock, prepared his Milkor MGL grenade launcher. As the gunners manning the MAG climbed to their new position, staying low to avoid the barrage of bullets that peppered the rocks, Allison switched her headset on. "Golem, Watchdog 1-5 here, do you copy ?"

The radio crackled and the answer came: "_1-5, gotcha. Need help?_"

"Yeah! We got a dozen 800s approaching our position, we won't be able to hold them off for long, we need support!"

"_I'll arrange that._" came the short, curt reply before the line went dead. Allison sighed and took another look. The T-800s were much closer now. Almost at range.

Almost…

Suddenly, one of the Terminators was thrown forward as half its head exploded in a burst of sparks. The others froze as it fell to the ground. A second later came the loud report of a large-caliber sniper rifle. The machines turned around, attempting to locate the shooter, but a second one fell, struck in the temple. _BOOM ! _Then a third. _BOOM ! _

There was the occasion.

"Fire!" Allison shouted, ducking swiftly. Gorman threw himself to the side and fired off his six shots as fast as the weapon's mechanism allowed him. The ground shook hard as the 40mm HE grenades impacted, the explosions sending dust and rocks in the air like a volcano.

Nothing moved for a moment. There was only the distant sound of other battles. The brunette wiped the sweat from her forehead and pursed her lips.

Then, as if erupting from the dust, the menacing silhouette of a T-800 walked forward. Its armor was dented in some places and blackened by the smoke but it was still intact, and it was coming right toward them, its red eyes glaring murderously right at her.

To make it worse, the seven others followed like an army of ghouls appearing from the mist in some cheap horror movie.

Allison gasped and stared at them, shocked. _Shit! Carter wasn't exaggerating, they're more than tough! How're we gonna do that! _

The MAG crackled again, but the only good it did was bend a jack on an 800's torso. As a response the machine lifted its rifle again, and the gunners barely had time to duck as it let loose, spraying the rocks with 5.56mm lead.

_This is bad…_

Suddenly, the rifle's crackle was covered by a quick series of loud detonations, like a large-caliber machine-gun, just a bit slower. Then there was a sound of metal hitting ground, twice. Allison carefully peeked over the rock she hid behind and saw a hulking silhouette dressed in combat fatigues advancing toward the machines, a large and very familiar-looking automatic shotgun in its gloved hands. Two T-800s lay on the ground, their skulls blasted to bits. As another machine raised its gun to fire back, Carter let loose again. The mix of customized armor-piercing ammunition and explosive slugs hit the machine like a jackhammer, the force of the slugs throwing it violently to the ground along with its shattered cranial circuitry.

The five remaining machines opened fire on him instantly, but the 5.56mm rounds did no damage other than to his clothes, pinging harmlessly off his endoskeleton's armour. Never having encountered an opponent of their own kind before, they froze, and that slight hesitation gave Carter all the time he needed. Two other machines fell, and then his shotgun clicked empty.

The three others did not leave him the time to reload as they all pounced on him like one. Allison's heart skipped a beat as they tackled him to the ground.

Now there was nothing she could do but watch. And hope he could pull it off.

* * *

><p>Carter rolled to the side as one of the T-800s attempted to punch him in the face. Fortunately he was fast enough so that the machine ended up burying its fist in the ground. But as soon as he did so another one grabbed him and flung him against the rock. Large chunks of stone fell off as he hit it full force, but he did not feel a thing. He smirked internally. <em>Heh.<em> _Stupid metal. Thanks for giving me some room._ He got back up before the machines were on him and, with lightning speed earned from his long practice, drew out his .45 MAC10 and let out a short burst straight in the eyes of one of them.

The concussion-proof lenses of a T-800 could stand a lot of things but direct impacts from .45ACP full metal jacketed bullets were not one of them. Sparks and debris flew out and the now blind machine interrupted its movement to reach for its eyes. The two others rushed to him too fast for him to shift his aim so he threw his gun and jumped right as they reached him. Carried by their momentum the two crashed in the rock right as he landed behind them. The AA-12 was right here, lying on the ground. He grabbed a magazine from his belt, then in a single fluid motion of his free hand took the weapon, ejected the empty magazine and slapped in the fresh one.

He then whirled around, leveling the gun on the blind T-800's head, and squeezed the trigger just enough to fire five rounds that obliterated the machine's CPU. The two others freed themselves from the rock and ran to him. Instead of dodging he just took three quick steps back and fired again, hitting one in the left temple. The last Terminator attempted a swing at his head but he ducked underneath, jammed the rifle under its chestplate and shot the last rounds right in the power cell, like Allison had done so long ago with that humanoid HK. The T-800 froze and its eyes went dark. After a few seconds it fell to the ground in a grotesque imitation of a dying human.

Carter rose back up and surveyed the battlefield. _Fortunately they're still not too bright,_ he thought. He then looked up the slope beside the cliff, right where Allison's section had taken ambush, and called out: "Everyone okay?"

* * *

><p>Allison sighed in relief as she saw the last machine fall. She turned to her teammates. All of them were in top shape, and all of them were looking in a mix of awe and distrust at their savior. She shouted back: "We're good!"<p>

Carter nodded and started to climb toward them. Allison looked back at her men and noticed they were all staring at her. "Leutenant ?" Gorman stuttered. "You… you know that…"

"Relax Gorman, he's not hostile. Ever heard of Marcus Wright ?"

The soldier looked at her blankly for a second then his eyes widened. "The cyborg ?"

"Yeah. Well he's like him. He's the reinforcement I called and he's part of the Resistance. There's nothing you gotta be afraid of. Barrett knows him too."

"I second that," Barrett said, "he's cool. Hey, he busted five of these motherfuckers by himself, not the kind of help you can refuse, yeah?"

The men looked up at Carter as he arrived in the middle of them, his AA-12 in hands and the huge .50 caliber sniper rifle slung on his back.

"I guess…" Gorman said, obviously intimidated by this new and rather unexpected ally.

Right at this moment they heard the loud whine of turbofan engines, a shadow blocked the setting sun, and all hell broke loose.

**6**


End file.
